djr  ^iDfumg  llori^on 
in  CIjina 


Bp  BISHOP  J.  W.  BASHFORD 


BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

CHINA  CENTENNIAL  COMMISSION 
150  FIFTH  AVENUE 
NEV^  YORK 


Printed  in  February,  1907 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON 
IN  CHINA 


The  jMissionary  work  of  the  Alethodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
China  is  practically  confined  to  seven  of  the  twenty-two  provinces. 
One  of  our  missionaries  crosses  the  Yangtze  at  Kiukiang  and 
thus  does  some  work  in  an  eighth  province,  Hupeh,  where  we 
have  some  splendid  native  Christians.  Moreover  Chinese  Chris- 
tians returning  from  California  have  of  their  own  initiative 
preached  the  Gospel,  led  souls  to  Christ,  built  a church,  and 
established  a school  in  the  Kwangtung  Province.  This  work  has 
been  visited  by  the  bisho]")  resident  in  China.  One  native  mis- 
sionary, who  is  supported  in  part  by  the  local  church  and  in  part 
by  Chinese  Christians  in  California,  was  ordained.  We  also  have 
a very  few  missionaries  across  the  line  of  Chihli,  in  the  region  of 
iManchuria,  now  diVided  into  three  provinces. 

The  provinces  in  which  our  missionaries  labor  contain  one 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  million  people,  while  the  provinces  thus 
far  not  entered  by  us  embrace  two  hundred  and  fifty  million 
people.  Were  any  similar  pagan  population  discovered  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world  without  a IMethodist  missionary,  our 
people  would  pour  out  their  money  and  would  have  men  on  the 
way  to  save  these  millions  within  the  next  six  months.  Nearness, 
to  be  sure,  would  give  an  added  emphasis  to  any  such  need  or 
opportunity.  But  nearness,  or,  in  this  case,  distance,  ought  not 
to  be  the  influencing  factor  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Surely  the  number  thus  far  unreached  by  us,  tlie  openness  of  the 
Chinese  for  the  Gospel,  and  the  fact  that  we  have  mastered  the 
language,  have  translated  the  Bible  and  have  created  some 
Chinese  Christian  literature,  and  can  reach  these  millions  in 
connection  with  our  other  work,  make  the  appeal  for  the  expan- 
sion of  our  work  in  the  Chinese  empire  an  irresistible  one. 


4 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  IN  CHINA 


PROPOSALS  FOR  EXPANSION 

I.  Reenforce  JJ'esf  C/iina  Mission 

If  the  order  of  expansion  can  be  planned,  the  first  step  to  take 
is  to  reenforce  immediately  onr  work  in  West  China  so  that  we 
may  at  least  retain  the  territory  in  that  province  which  we  have 
cultivated  during  the  last  twenty  years.  This  territory  embraces 
one  sixth  of  the  Szechuen  province,  with  one  third  of  its  popula- 
tion of  sixty-eight  million  people.  Our  iMethodist  missionaries, 
being  among  the  first  Christians  to  enter  this  province,  naturally 
settled  along  the  Yangtze  from  Chungking,  the  commercial 
metropolis,  through  the  Chentu  plain  to  Chentu,  the  political 
capital  of  the  province.  This  Chentu  plain,  according  to  ^Ir. 
Archibald  Little  in  “The  Far  East.”  has  a denser  population 
than  any  other  spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth  except  possibly  the 
county  in  which  London  is  located.  Here  our  missionaries  have 
labored  and  prayed  and  built  up  a native  Methodism.  Our  gains 
in  the  West  China  Mission  have  averaged  29  per  cent  a year  for 
the  last  two  years.  Ninety  per  cent  of  our  church  members  are 
mature  men,  and  only  ten  per  cent  women  and  children.  Ninety 
per  cent  of  our  church  members  can  read  and  write  as  compared 
with  ten  per  cent  of  the  surrounding  adult  male  population.  MY 
must  receive  word  in  the  very  near  future  that  we  can  add  four 
or  five  additional  married  workers  to  the  force  in  West  China, 
or  else  we  must  surrender  to  other  societies  a part  of  this  mo.st 
fruitful  field.  Surely  Methodism  ought  to  exert  herself  mightily 
to  hold  her  possession  in  this  garden  spot  of  the  world. 

II.  E.i'tcnd  file  present  boundaries  of  Foochow  and  Hinghna 

Conferences 

The  boundaries  of  the  Foochow  Conference  ought  to  be  en- 
larged in  a northwesterly  direction  until  they  meet  the  boundaries 
of  the  Central  China  Conference.  The  boundaries  of  the  Cen- 
tral China  Conference  ought  to  be  extended  fifty  miles  to  the 
south  that  they  may  touch  the  southern  end  of  the  Hinghua 
Conference.  In  addition,  the  boundaries  of  the  Hinghua  Con- 
ference should  be  extended  in  a westerly  direction  until  they 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  IN  CHINA 


5 


unite  with  the  eastern  limits  of  the  Central  China  Conference. 
This  would  connect  these  three  conferences  and  bring  our  mis- 
sionaries into  closer  relations ; would  enable  us  to  transfer  mis- 
sionaries from  one  field  to  another  according  to  the  relative  needs 
of  each  field,  and  would  contribute  in  every  way  to  the  enlarge- 
ment and  improvement  of  our  work  in  those  fields  already  occu- 
pied. To  make  these  extensions  would  necessitate  the  adding  of 
perhaps  four  missionaries  and  their  wives  to  the  force  of  the 
Foochow  and  Hinghua  Conferences. 

III.  Divide  Central  China  Conference  into  tzvo  parts 

With  this  slight  enlargement  of  what  is  now  the  Central  China 
Conference,  it  should  be  divided  into  two  conferences.  This  con- 
ference now  has  work  in  the  four  provinces  of  Kiangsu,  Anhwei, 
Kiangsi  and  Hupeh,  with  an  area  as  large  as  that  of  all  New 
England,  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  and  with  a population  of 
about  one  hundred  millions.  We  have  for  this  vast  territory  and 
enormous  population  but  five  foreign  presiding  elders,  and  the 
whole  force  at  each  of  its  five  mission  stations  is  entirely  inade- 
quate. To  do  any  kind  of  justice  to  this  work  we  ought  immedi- 
ately to  double  the  number  of  presiding  elders  in  Central  China, 
and  also  add  largely  to  our  teaching  and  medical  forces. 

The  Central  China  Conference  is  located  in  the  great  Yangtze 
valley,  one  of  the  most  fertile  farming  sections  in  the  world. 
Here  also  are  great  coal  and  iron  resources.  It  has  a perfect 
network  of  canals  and  streams.  Moreover,  being  on  China’s 
great  waterway,  the  Yangtze  River,  it  is  easy  of  access  and  is  in 
touch  with  the  outside  world. 

Here  is  a great  population  waiting  for  us  to  give  them  the 
Gospel.  Surely  Methodism  will  arise  to  this  opportunity,  and 
not  make  it  necessary  either  to  abandon  territory  or  else  to  fail 
in  this  strategic  region. 

IF.  Organize  Shantung  District  into  Shantung  Conference 

In  the  Shantung  Province  of  the  North  China  Conference  we 
have  one  presiding  elder's  district  for  a province  larger  than  New 
York  State  and  a population  of  thirty-eight  millions.  The  Parent 


6 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  IN  CHINA 


Board  has  three  missionaries  and  their  wives  and  the  Woman’s 
Foreign  iMissionary  Society  three  workers  for  this  entire  province. 
This  is  the  province  which  has  been  exploited  to  some  extent  by 
the  Germans.  It  has  vast  coal  and  iron  resources,  and  along  with 
Shansi,  promises  to  be  the  Pittsburg  region  of  the  Chinese  empire. 
Indeed  railroads  are  already  building  and  the  mines  are  being 
opened.  This  presiding  elder's  district  should  be  expanded  into 
the  Shantung  Conference.  It  should  be  extended  south  through 
the  fertile  territory  lying  along  the  Grand  Canal,  that  ancient  and 
noted  artificial  waterway,  until  the  Shantung  Conference  connects 
with  the  Central  China  Conference.  This  would  connect  four  of 
our  five  conferences  in  China.  Here  is  another  opportunity 
which  Methodism  must  not  allow  to  pass  by  through  failing  to 
respond  in  her  providential  hour. 

I’.  Enter  Manchuria 

Xearly  all  of  the  territory  formerly  known  as  Manchuria  has 
been  made  into  the  three  provinces  of  Fengtien,  Heilungkiang 
and  Kirin  and  incorporated  into  China  proper.  Their  latitude 
ranges  from  that  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  that  of  the  southern  part 
of  Canada,  and  their  total  area  equals  that  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and 
Te.xas  combined.  The  population  has  in  twenty-five  years  in- 
creased from  seven  and  one  half  millions  to  twenty-one  millions. 
The  soil  is  much  like  the  black  soil  of  Illinois  and  Iowa  and  is 
verv  fertile.  This  natural  resource  has  been  made  available  to 
the  natives  through  the  railroads  which  have  been  constructed  by 
the  Russians,  and  the  railroad  running  from  Tientsin,  the  com- 
mercial center  of  North  China,  through  the  Great  Wall,  to 
Mukden,  the  capital  of  Manchuria.  There  are  also  splendid  coal 
and  iron  mines  as  yet  unworked.  Great  developments  are  to  take 
place  there  and  the  population  fifty  years  hence  will  probably 
reach  one  hundred  millions.  Only  two  missions  of  any  church  arc 
at  work  there  now'.  Methodism  should  enter  the  field  at  once  and 
occupy  the  place  as  worker  there  which  the  situation  demands 
of  her. 

17.  Begin  zvorb  in  Shansi  Proz'ijicc 

Shansi  Province  lies  west  of  Chihli  Province  and  occupies 
about  81,830  square  miles.  Its  population  is  12,200,000.  Baron 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  IN  CHINA 


1 


Richtofen,  in  his  three-volume  report  to  the  German  Government, 
startled  the  European  nations  by  his  statement  that  the  Shansi 
Province  contains  the  richest  coal  and  iron  deposits  in  the  world. 
This  report  led  to  the  attempt  to  divide  China,  which  attempt 
failed  only  through  the  intervention  of  Secretary  Hay  and  the 
I'nited  States.  Richtofen  says  that  there  is  coal  enough  in 
Shansi  to  supply  the  whole  world  for  several  thousand  years. 
This  is  confirmed  by  the  report  of  the  second  German  commis- 
sion in  1897-8.  The  mountains  which  contain  the  coal  have  been 
so  upheaved  that  they  can  be  mined  on  a level  without  sinking 
shafts.  Railroads  are  already  building  in  these  fields  and  the 
dawn  of  a mining  era  is  at  hand.  Coal  in  some  places  lies  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  Pacific,  so  that  with  suitable  railroads 
gravity  will  bear  the  mined  coal  to  the  sea.  A tremendous  amount 
of  Chinese  labor  is  at  liand  and  in  a comparatively  few  years 
Shansi  will  be  the  Pittsburg,  the  Birmingham,  the  West  Virginia 
of  Asia. 

Such  is  the  character  of  the  field  which  calls  us  as  a church  tO' 
a decided  advance.  The  list  below  gives  what  must  be  pledged 
before  the  work  should  he  opened  in  either  iManchuria  or  Shansi, 
and  is  by  no  means  all  that  is  needed  adequately  to  man  either 
one  of  these  fields. 

Five  missionaries — one  physician,  two  teachers,  and  two  evan- 
gelists, at  $2,000  each  for  outgoing  expenses  and  salary  for 


two  years Sio,ooo 

Five  residences  for  the  above,  at  $2,500  each 12,500 

One  hospital,  at  $5,000 5.000 

Two  school  buildings  at  $5,000  each 10,000 

Native  chapels,  workers,  etc 2,500 


$40,000 

The  accompanying  table  shows  the  size  and  the  population  of 
the  various  provinces  and  the  number  of  people  to  each  mission- 
ary. A glance  at  this  table,  together  with  the  foregoing  pres- 
entation, will  show  that  in  our  proposals  for  strengthening  exist- 
ing work  and  for  expansion,  we  have  asked  for  it  for  the  most 
fertile  portions  of  the  empire  or  else  for  those  of  largest  manu- 
facturing and  mining  possibilities  and  probabilities,  where  the 
largest  number  of  people  will  be  reached  with  the  least  possible 
efifort. 


<5 


THE  WIDENING  HORIZON  IN  CHINA 


Area 

Population 

Pop.  Miss’ns  Mission 

- Inhab. 

Sq.  Mi. 

arics 

Per  Miss. 

Anhwei 

S4.8io 

23,670,000 

432 

8 

90 

263,000 

Chekiang 

36,670 

11,581 ,000 

313 

10 

270 

43,000 

Chihli 

ii!;,8oo 

20,Q'?7,000 

I8I 

I 2 

273 

58,000 

Chinese  Turkestan 

:;SO,000 

1 ,200.000 

2 

FpTIOrtipn 

^0,000 

I 2 ,000  .000 

240 

F ukien 

46.320 

22,877,000 

494 

8 

363 

63^000 

Heilungkiang 

140.000 

2,000,000 

14 

Honan 

67,940 

35,317,000 

519 

7 

93 

380,00c 

Hunan 

83.380 

22,1 69,000 

266 

9 

87 

255,00c 

Hupeh 

71,410 

3 5 ,280,000 

494 

15 

220 

160,00c 

Kansu 

12.S.450 

10,385,000 

83 

3 

57 

182,00c 

Kiangsi 

69,480 

26,532,000 

382 

6 

165 

161 ,00c 

Kiangsu 

38,600 

13,980,000 

362 

20 

360 

39,00c 

Kirin 

90,000 

7,000,000 

77 

Kwangsi 

77.200 

5,142,000 

66 

2 

13 

395,00c 

Kwangtung 

99.970 

31,865,000 

319 

19 

419 

77.00c 

Kweichau 

67,160 

7,650,000 

1 I I 

I 

25 

306,00c 

Shansi 

81,830 

I 2,200,000 

149 

7 

I 2 I 

1 01 ,00c 

Shantung 

55. 970 

38,248,000 

683 

14 

225 

1 70,00c 

Shensi 

75.270 

8,450,000 

I I I 

5 

84 

100. ooc 

Szechuen 

218,480 

68,725,000 

314 

7 

252 

273,00c 

Yunnan 

146,680 

I 2 ,3  24,000 

84 

2 

37 

333.00c 

China  Proper 

2,362,420 

429,532,000 

259 

20 

3.249 

1 32,00c 

Mongolia  Dependencies 

1 ,367,000 

5.000,000 

4 

Thibet  Dependencies. . . 

738,000 

3,500,000 

5 

All  China 

438,032,000 

100 

For  more  definite  information  as  to  special  needs  and  oppor- 
tunities, write  to  Dr.  F.  D.  Gainewell,  150  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York  city. 


